BRITTANY
Kim Rhode, shooter
Kim wants black. Brittany likes prints and color. But she claims she can adapt, though I’m not sure we’ve ever seen her do that. Kim wants ‘the girls’ out, so there will be a deep plunge at the neckline, but she also has very defined tan lines on her arms from shooting, so she wants those covered up in some kind of strap or sleeve.
Christian likes that Brittany is working in dark colors, which aren’t in her comfort zone, but wants her to “push it” more into her aesthetic.
And yet Kim seems to like the look, though that’s not the highest praise, so maybe a push wouldn’t be the thing to do for a woman who knows how to shoot a gun? Plus, there’s a whole lot of cleavage tumbling out of this dress, so, yeah, even I’m worried.
WHAT SHE SAID
Mine’s the most formal, but it’s exactly what Kim wanted, and it looks like me.
WHAT I SAID
It’s nice, it’s safe, it’s basic; it’s a lot of boobs. It looks nothing like minimal high-low strappy Brittany.
WHAT THE JUDGES SAID
The judges critique the looks with the client onstage first: Elaine says Kim looks like “a bag of money,” while Karlie questions the plunging neckline—even though Kim wanted it.
After the client leaves, the knives come out: Nina calls it a “smart fabric,” but a “very cliché dress”—a “Little Black Dress” that they’ve seen before—and wished Brittany had put her creative stamp on it. Guest judge, Olympic skier Lindsey Vonn also wished Brittany had pushed Kim out of her comfort zone a little. Brandon thought the dress could be worn by any woman, which in this challenge, is not a compliment.
GEOFFREY
Naya Tapper, rugby
Geoffrey bonds with Naya about rugby, though he doesn’t really know what it is: is it played with a net? Um, no, it’s not.
He is also one of three designers opting for a red dress; a party dress for Naya’s night out celebrating with girlfriends. He makes a mini miniskirt with a long slit and strappy shoulders, and Christian is worried about that.
“It’ll be something,” they both say, though they mean different things. But Christian is also worried that the waistline is too high, and the bust line is too low, and the hips are doing something tragic.
Geoffrey recuts the entire look in about a minute. And then disaster strikes: someone … :::cough::: Nancy :::cough::: … melted black double-stick tape on the iron and it ended up on his dress, and we all know the judges will spot it right off.
And Christian is still worried about the hips, so at the very last moment, with everyone headed to the runway, Geoffrey opts to solve that problem. It’s played to look like he won’t make it, but then we see him outside smoking, so it was all for drama.
WHAT HE SAID
She is nailing it …she looks so happy.
WHAT I SAID
I like it though that slit is dangerously close to the fine china, and the fit of the top seems baggy.
WHAT THE JUDGES SAID
With Naya present, Brandon says she looks “expensive,” though he also notes the stain. Lindsey calls her “confident” and “glowing” and says she “looks incredible.”
With Naya gone, Elaine isn’t going to take points off for the stain but called it “loose around the chest area.” Elaine was “offended” the “tacky” and “stiff” and “rigid” and “shiny” fabric, but Karlie thought Geoffrey made the only victorious party dress for a woman in her 20s going out to a club. Nina worried that when Naya moved you could almost see an “accident.” Brandon thought it was cool and chic.
SERGIO
Foluke Akinradewo Gunderson, indoor volleyball
Foluke is pregnant, and Sergio has never made a maternity dress before because his dresses are too expensive for them to want to invest in with their bodies changing, so Mister Political won’t do maternity. Gimme a break.
Christian doesn’t think Sergio’s design is very “exciting” and Sergio thinks Christian doesn’t understand because he wasn’t in the client consultation. These two are so uncomfortable together because Sergio doesn’t think he needs Christian’s critiques; and yet maybe another set of eyes could have spared us those sleeves?
Still, Foluke seems happy with what Sergio is designing, and that’s kind of all that matters. Kind of … until Sergio opens his yap again:
“My design is so good that she’s already won the gold.”
Cue smackdown; literal and figurative.
WHAT HE SAID
I love what I’ve done … from the color to the silhouette, it makes me stand out.
WHAT I SAID
It’s an A-line, T-shirt gown with a cutout in back.
WHAT THE JUDGES SAID
With Foluke onstage, Elaine loved that it wasn’t traditional maternity wear. Nina thinks Sergio celebrated her pregnancy while still making it feminine and sexy. Lindsey thought Foluke looked confident while Brandon called the color a hard choice but said Foluke looked “gorgeous.”
With Foluke gone, Karlie thought it was “beautiful” and “stunning,” but said it was a day dress and not a gown. Elaine wanted the baby bump showcased more and when Sergio clutched his pearls and said he would never make a pregnant woman wear something tight, Elaine gave him the Welteroth Head Tilt Eye Roll™ which spoke volumes. Brandon thought the chiffon on the bottom was “beautiful” but felt the sleeves and the darts were off.
MARQUISE
Scout Bassett, sprinter/long jump
Scout is tiny, and clearly has a hard time finding adult looks to wear; she also has a prosthetic leg and really wants to show it off, and Marquise shows her a sketch with a very long slit.
Perfection.
Marquise also goes for red at Mood, but Scout is from China and wants the red to represent China and America. He also accommodates her with her prosthetic leg because heels are tough to maneuver in, and creates a look she can wear with gold sneakers.
Christian thinks “there’s something there” with Marquise’s braiding effect for the straps, but says it’s missing a “cool” factor and doesn’t seem very Marquise. It feels a little “bridesmaid’s” to Christian—which is a death knell on the PR—but Marquise, and Scout, love it, so …
WHAT HE SAID
I feel honored to make a dress for Scout.
WHAT I SAID
I like that she rocks the leg, but other than that, it seems kinda basic.
WHAT THE JUDGES SAID
With Scout onstage, explaining that often times disabled people feel a need to hide their disability, Elaine says the community sees Scout. Nina thinks Scout looks “amazing” and that the dress is “perfect for her petite figure.”
With Scout gone, Karlie loved the reveal of her prosthetic leg, but felt the bodice was “more sheer than it needed to be.” Lindsey thought the design looked very young in spite of the slit and wished Marquise had gone more “sophisticated.” Nina, who has liked that Marquise makes an outfit for himself that pairs with his model, wished he’d spent more time on Scout’s look, and not made his own—very cool—shirt.
VICTORIA
Helen Maroulis, freestyle wrestling
Apparently, it’s Victoria’s birthday and she has gotten dozens of roses from her hubby, and Brittany’s Green-Eyed Monster says:
“Look, it’s a rose for every time she’s been on the top.”
To be fair, Victoria has hovered at or near the bottom lately. And then, maybe since it’s her birthday, or just plain dumb luck, Victoria gets Helen, who wants a high-low, asymmetrical red dress with cutouts and straps. Brittany doesn’t fail to notice this either.
So, Victoria makes a “Victoria dress” in red for Helen, who loves it so much she says:
"I'll wear this with pins in it!"
One sticking point is that Victoria doesn’t like dresses without sleeves and Helen wants no sleeves. Christian pushes her to leave the sleeves off but is worried about the length of the salsa dress.
WHAT SHE SAID
Helen looks very confident and happy .I gave her what she wanted.
WHAT I SAID
It’s fun, it’s sexy, it’s salsa, but that flap hanging down just seems odd to me.
WHAT THE JUDGES SAID
With Helen onstage: Nina loves Helen’s salsa, and says fashion can be transformative and feminine and athletic.
With Helen gone, Nina sees “Victoria’s DNA” in the look. Brandon didn’t mind the length but hated the fabric. Elaine noted that Victoria was the only designer whose aesthetic came through but let’s be fair, it was the fact that Helen wanted exactly what Victoria always makes. Lindsey loved the dress and how it accentuated the model’s personality.
NANCY
Tatyana McFadden, track and field
At first, I felt Nancy had the most difficult challenge because Tatyana uses a wheelchair, but Nancy was totally up for it. Tatyana says she has trouble finding clothes because of her broad, muscular frame … and her wheelchair … and admits she’s a “little extra,” so she wants a train.
Nancy loves the idea of a train, and of creating an adaptable design that Tatyana can get in and out of herself. The biggest challenge is the train; will it get caught under the wheelchair? Will it move right? Luckily Nancy takes the time to test out the idea and figures out that shorter and narrower works best.
Nancy ends up making five pieces … blouse, corset, train, skirt, and a second skirt beneath the tulle of the first. It’s a lot but she really wants to give her client what she wants.
Once again, Christian is worried about how much time Nancy is going to need to finish her look; but that’s the usual critique with Nancy who works at her own pace and in her own way.
WHAT SHE SAID
I’m just thrilled beyond words.
WHAT I SAID
I love the train, and the skirt, but the detail around the top and across the arms seems overworked.
WHAT THE JUDGES SAID
With Tatyana present: Karlie called it “gorgeous,” and said no one noticed the chair; she also notes that if she had that body, she’d never put a shirt on. Brandon is wowed by the reveal of the second skirt, and Nina loves the “fashion,” “function” and “fantasy.” Lindsey calls it “stunning look.”
With Tatyana gone, Elaine thought the color was “a little uninteresting,” though Nina thought it “the right color.” She also loved that Nancy went the extra mile and thought about Tatyana getting in and out of the dress. Karlie did think the trim was a little “heavy” and more texture than necessary. Brandon said Nancy did a great job of accommodating her client.
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